I am a Dermal Clinician and Lymphoedema Practitioner based in Australia. As an accredited Lymphoedema Practitioner with the Australasian Lymphology Association (ALA), I have helped hundreds of women with lipoedema transform their health and their lipoedema journey. If you know me, you know that I am determined to change the narrative for women living with lipoedema — women who are so often overlooked, misdiagnosed and poorly advised. Women who have lived with lipoedema for decades and struggled through judgement, shame and ignorance have something in common with the younger women and girls who are just being diagnosed. They ask, “Why don’t more people understand this?” To answer that question properly, we’d need to look at culture, science, politics, gender sociology and a whole lot of other factors well beyond my scope as a Clinician. Whatever the myriad of reasons, there are two things I know: 1. Our understanding of lipoedema is GROWING. No pun intended. There are some incredible researchers, specialists, investors and advocates putting an enormous amount of time, resources and passion into furthering our understanding of lipoedema. And while we still have a lot to learn, the conversation and knowledge base is changing. 2. Misinformation is also GROWING. Social media, wellness trends, online experts, well-meaning advocates and scammers readily share information about lipoedema — but not everything you read or hear is accurate, evidence-informed or even shared with good intentions. Poor interpretations, unbalanced opinions on research and generalised recommendations can leave women out of pocket, frustrated and, sometimes, worse off. An increasing number of scam products also use aggressive marketing to mislead women desperate for information and solutions. This is why I believe an evidence-based and clinician-led space for women with lipoedema and, health professionals to learn is so important. So WELCOME. This space is for you.